Pears to please National Pear Month may have ended, but pears remain one of the more popular winter fruits, and we have a lot of winter left. So what good fortune that one of our top local chefs, Sameh Wadi of Saffron, has been recognized by the Pear Bureau Northwest for his creativity with pears. His recipe for Alaskan king crab with pear "tabbouleh" salad is among those featured at www.pearpanache.com. The site includes recipes for sweet and savory ways to use pears, some pear cocktails and tips for choosing and storing pears. Wadi notes that pears' natural sweetness works "really well with aromatic spices such as saffron, star anise and cardamom." We may make it through winter yet.

Kostroski to the rescue So the Vikings won't be on the field, but Super Bowl attendees may want to order their tickets to the Taste of the NFL event founded by Minnesota restaurateur Wayne Kostroski, whose efforts earned him the 2010 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award. Since 1992, the event has enabled Kostroski to distribute more than $10 million to food banks across the country. Tickets for the Feb. 5 event at the Fort Worth Convention Center start at $500. To learn more, visit www.TasteoftheNFL.com.

KIM ODE